Posted on: October 2nd, 2020
Your windshield, as well as any other part of your car, can get damaged or broken regardless of how much you want to avoid it. If it is going to happen, it will. So, if a small crack made by a rock the size of a dime appears you better fix it, or else your windshield might get totally damaged due to the expansion of the rift. Let me ask you, how much of this money can you save? Right here is when the auto glass insurance coverage becomes a smart solution.
There are a lot of decent insurance companies, just remember, depending on your auto insurance policy and the coverage you hired, the company can repair or replace the auto glass accepting the full cost, or acting after you pay the deductible before your coverage comes in. Let us get more in detail ahead.
How big do you need a crack to be to get a replacement of your windshield? Which is better for your car’s situation? What is best for your pocket in the short and the long term? It is understandable if you are not sure if the crack on your windshield fits or not for a quick repair or if it must be completely replaced. Additionally, you must be aware that every single time you file a claim, the insurer will notice it, then they will mark some sort of “minus one” on your insurance rate. This raises the price of your next contract, therefore you got to keep an eye on this matter.
Sometimes criteria do not obey parameters of common sense, sometimes you need to ask a professional which case matches what kind of solution. To help you have a better criterion, there are some traits of each option.
First of all, your policy contract must have a kind of coverage called “comprehensive insurance”, because this kind of service lets you, with no claim, a small repair. In fact, they also, under some particular circumstances, when your auto glass needs to be repaired, it can be done for free, but only if the damage is not too noticeable. These terms tend to change based on the insurance company. The policy of repairing minimal damage for free also depends on the shop, you take your car to fix it.
By choosing the option of repairing your auto glass, you can expect a quick and less expensive treatment than a complete replacement. But unfortunately, repairing your windscreen only applies if these four conditions are given:
If these four conditions are met, then any windshield repair expert can help you fix the problem in a short time.
Nevertheless, not repairing the chip on time can lead to a larger crack in a matter of days, and in some cases, hours. It is a process that will not take more than a half-hour, so it is a worthy option if the auto glass is repairable. Just make sure the shop uses the fittest tools, the best resins, and the proper technicians so the repaired crack results are almost imperceptible. Additionally, many companies give a lifetime warranty on their windshield repairing job. Hence, repairing your auto glass is a valuable option to choose from sometimes.
On the other hand, if you are looking for your auto glass brand new you can have it by changing the whole piece. If the circumstances for repair do not match, then it is time for a replacement.
It is not advised of you nor encourage you to try getting a fixed crack larger than a one-dollar bill. If you see a crack this big, then you must change the whole piece of glass. The reason is simple: cracks that big result in a shattered windshield.
Therefore, having a shattered auto glass represents two major issues. Firstly, it always results stressing to feel that at any second your windshield may break in pieces (it might be dangerous if you drive on a highway). Sometimes it feels like a time bomb. Secondly, but no less important, depending on the kind of shattering, the crack might reduce or even block your visibility. This problem can result in a car crash or any other sort of accident.
Likewise, if the piece has many cracks, you should totally ask for a complete replacement, and this way you do not get in trouble afterward. In all U.S.A you can order a new windshield, so you can get it set on virtually any shop in less than an hour.
When you hire a coverage called “comprehensive insurance”, under your car insurance, then your insurance company should take care of the damage on your windshield.
Sometimes you hire coverage for car insurance and you do not know what is in it. Sometimes you know what you hired, but you do not remember each part of the policy contract. To be completely honest, you must read your contract and look if your windshield or auto glass is covered. There you can see if the company pays the repair completely, or if you need to pay the deductible first, but you must check this out to be sure.
Nevertheless, some insurance companies lower the policy price by excluding the auto glass coverage, especially when the car is an imported luxury car (like Ferrari or so). The reason for this is the high price or how difficult the piece is to replace it.
Utterly, the best situation you can expect here is to hire a “Full Coverage Glass”. This kind of coverage allows you to forget about your deductible foreplay. To get this coverage you must ask your insurance advisor or broker to tell you about this, then if the price you are willing to pay for an insurance policy matches the quote, it is a good way to lose another worry.
The answer here is kind of tricky. Firstly, you should know that there are a lot of causes for you to file an insurance claim. For instance, if the damage on your auto glass was made as a result of a collision, most of the insurance companies replace the windshield as a part of their coverage. In this case, the collision compromises the integrity of the windshield, so in order to comply with the policy of the insurer they replace the auto part.
On the other hand, if the damage is the result of incidental damage like a random small object making a chip on the auto glass, most of the companies will not mind repairing the glass for free and with a “no claim” policy. This is also sometimes a courtesy in some auto glass shops, due to the ease of the task, but it depends on the shop.
Now, here is an almost obvious hint for you. If your insurance’s deductible is higher than the cost of the repair or replacement for your auto glass, it might be better to file a claim. Let us say, if the costs of repair go between one hundred and eighty-five dollars and two hundred and fifty dollars, and your policy’s deductible is under this repairing price, you should totally file a claim. In this case, the insurer will give you a part of the bill and you will get the windscreen fixed.
Remember, every time you make a claim, your insurance rate rises due to the negative points your policy stacks. There are a lot of different cases where you should or cases where it is not necessary to file a claim. Regardless of the case, it is recommended you always do two things. Number one, read your policy agreement to know what kind of coverage you hired. Number two, talk to your insurance advisor to be completely sure of what your course of action should be.
In the vast majority of cases, the procedure is the same. You get in contact with your insurance company and let them know what just happened to your auto glass. It can be done through a phone call, a ticket for claims on the website, an email, even an app the company set for this mere purpose. If the window breaks as a product of the crash of both cars, you must call the police to do the inspection. The police officer should give you a proof of the accident, a ticket for your insurance company. Then, after filling a form, the insurer will tell you what to do.
After setting a claim, then you should also get an appointment to replace or repair your windshield. It is suggested you make the repair in a workshop instead of getting the window fixed in your garage, or even worse, on the street. Only inside a workshop, you can expect the best conditions to get your car properly attended. Some resins and adhesives work poorly without certain conditions of temperature and light.
If your auto glass gets broken by a protest or some act of vandalism, the process is different. First, you have to call the police and get them a police report. This report must be shown to the insurer so they can answer. When calling the insurance company, many have a special division for this kind of incident.
Whatever the case is, you should get your car for inspection of the damage to continue the process of getting the windshield fixed. The inspection can be done at any workshop by the trained personal, and they can also give you an estimation for the total expenses and options for the repair (if this is the case).
Regardless of the insurance company, the coverage, or the workshop you choose, this is the procedure you must follow in order to get your insurance policy to cover the damage of your auto glass. If you have difficulties filling up some form or alongside the process, get in touch with your insurance advisor so he or she can guide you through.
Again, the answer here is tricky. The importance of the windshield is obvious. It is the main part of your protection while driving by repelling the wind and all the small objects or animals coming to you. Your auto glass helps you to stay inside the vehicle in case of collision in case of the other things like your seat belt and the airbag. In case your car flips upside down, your windshield helps to hold part of the weight of your car.
Therefore, you can say that it is imperative to fix the auto glass, but should you involve the insurance company in every situation? Well, it depends. For any other incident than collision, you should see if you hired comprehensive insurance for your vehicle. If so, the company can respond to damages done by flood, fire, tree branches (basically natural disasters), or other situations different from a car crash (like animal damage made). In this last one, if you hit someone’s pet, you must file a claim because you hit someone’s property: the pet.
On the other hand, some state laws force companies to offer non-deductible windshield insurance in case of repair or replacement. Not all states can offer this kind of policy, so you must call your insurance advisor to be clear about this. Most consults made to your advisor are for free, while using quite often your insurance may result in more expensive in the long run. Let me explain it a little clearer.
Every time you set a claim to your insurance, the companies realize that you are more likely to get your car damaged, so they need to mark you somehow in order to adjust your quotes for the next insurance contract. Think for a second as a company: If a client spends thrice more money on repairs than others that do not, why should I charge them with the same fee?
Obviously, every time you set an insurance claim, you earn negative points which results in a rising of the price for your next year’s coverage. The company will respond every single time your insurance policy is active (when you have paid it but you have not used it for a replacement). If you have comprehensive insurance, under the situation of a collision, repairing the windshield might be considered “No fault” or “No claim” for most of the companies.
Here is a caveat: before you file a claim, always check the deductible. This way you will know if there is an amount to pay from your own pocket before the policy starts to pay the damage for you.
In resume, it is advised to you, firstly, to be careful and drive safe, and secondly, do not use your insurance to cover small repairs. It is not necessary to set a claim every time for a chip or a small crack. This criterion will save you some negative points, and utterly, money. And double-check with your advisor what is the best course of action after your windscreen damage.
It is sad to say that regardless of how far mankind has reached as a species by collaborating with each other, there is a small, but a well-placed group of people ready to rob and lie in order to grab some money from innocent people. Speaking of auto glass repair or replacement, you would be surprised by the number of people disposed to scam you if you let them. There are two sides to this kind of problem: the scammer and the victim.
When the victim is unaware of what goes wrong with some suspicious procedure, he or she has sinned by ignorance, and sometimes the price to pay is high in more than one way. In the less dangerous case, the scammer will use poor materials and will bill you overpriced. In this case you will get installed a poor windshield that may result in harmful, losing money in the process. Yet, this is different when the scammer goes further.
If a non-authorized person gets their hands on your insurance information, he can get access to your personal information such as your full name and I.D, credit card information, or even your address. This irregularity allows the scammer to:
The idea here is to let you know what is the worst thing a scammer does with your information. The information can be taken from you or from someone close to you. It only takes a “professional front”, a few questions, and that is it! You gave away your personal information.
Now, when you are being scammed by professional people (people who live from scamming and lying), they now can end up in jail due to fraud, so they use a barely legal way to scam you. They can overprice your repairs in front of your insurance company, they can bill you for top quality materials and install a lame windshield, or they can bill you for more than one work at the same time. Obviously, the scammer finds a way to support them with proof they did a good job, but at the end of the day you got a lame windshield, overpriced.
The “good scammer” might offer you some extra things for you to hire them. Coupons, movie tickets, discounts, and even a free auto glass replacement, are some of their gifts to earn your trust. The person who might approach you, might do it in a gas station, in a parking lot, but always will try to catch you off-guard. Always as a savior/salesman who appears right on time and pushes the sale. After they bill you, and the insurer pays, generally they are hard to track down.
After this, and depending on the scammer’s work, your insurance rate rises, your coverage ends, or even you stop being selectable for further insurance contracts. This last case takes multiple times before you get banned from car insurance policies, but it can happen. Be always aware of any possible sign of repairing or replacing your auto glass when:
It is also helpful to pay attention to whatever crazy or less likely to happen situation you can hear on the streets. You may be surprised by the creativity and innovation of the scammers day by day. If any of these situations happen to you, do not feel bad. Sadly, it happens to a lot of people and you are not the only one. Be cautious.
The possibilities are infinite when it comes to avoiding the fraud related to the scammers mentioned before in the previous section. For you to have a better look in detail about how to avoid Auto Glass Fraud there is a list of what you can do, depending on the situation. These sorts of frauds and scams go from stealing money to some worse situations.
As said before, a scammer can install a poor-quality windshield. If you see yourself in this situation, you must gather all the evidence of the material used, and if it is possible the information about the installer technician. After that, you may start a legal demand against the person. In this case scenario, you will win the case if you have all proofs of the poor performance of the workshop or the technician. To avoid this situation, look for a certified workshop to do the fix, instead of some John Doe on his house’s driveway.
Some scammers take advantage of your goodwill and your trust to bill you for a few works they have not done. For example, they repair a chip but relying on the coverage from the insurance company they charge you for two cracks on the windshield and the replacement of a door window. If you are not aware of what you are paying for, they will take advantage of you.
To avoid this awful situation, pay attention to the work done and the, of course, the bill. If you notice any kind of fraud, you must give part to the police or to any other entity of the state that can help you. Remain calm at any second and try to be respectful, even if the person you are dealing with is rude or hostile.
If someone approaches you offering their services of repairing a chip on your auto glass, be aware. You got to look for signals of fraud. Firstly, the “seller” or “representative” of some workshop will not try to pray for you. A seller will wait for your call or your visit to his office. A well-branded office, by the workshop.
Someone waiting for you in a parking lot, in a gas station, or in a dark alley IS NOT A SALESMAN. You first got to be clear about not wanting any service (even if you need it). Be calm and do not give him time to make a conversation with you. If he insists, grab your phone and tell him you are about to call the police. Dial 911 and wait to dial call. This should be enough. If you are alone, try to go somewhere crowded looking for safety.
Let us say you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the staff of any workshop or insurance company. This person introduces himself and then tries to pull from you any personal information based on two or three data. The alert should be set on when the person on the phone asks you for personal information like your address or your bank account or credit card number. Think of this: the insurer you hire already has this info, and the workshop will deal with the payment directly with the insurer. Do not give information.
If you give up your address you might get into a bigger problem. People get kidnaped after being followed from home. To avoid this, NEVER reveal your address to a stranger on the phone. If you suspect you are being followed or being waited by your house, call the police immediately and avoid staying alone. It is always better to be cautious than being harmed.
In the present case, who might get in trouble is you. A friend of yours asks you to help him elaborate on a scene where your car and his car “accidentally” crashed. Of course, you want to help him, and you agree to set up the scene to take photos of a cheating bump. Then your insurer is supposed to pay for both repairs, but under the inspection your friend’s con comes to the light. The good faith in which is based on the insurance contract is void, so your contract gets null and ergo, you and your friend will not get their window repaired. The insurance company even can take legal actions to set a precedent and avoid this scam further. Being ignorant of the law does not make you innocent when you “accidentally” commit a crime, a felony, or a con.
Have every second this phrase in mind: You are the one looking for the service, not the other way around. Make sure you are the one calling, the one setting the appointment for the evaluation and the repair, and the one asking questions to all the staff in the workshop about what they do to your car.
In order to do this, remember to have good clear communication with your insurance advisor, with your insurance company, or at least with the workshop you have selected. And do not avoid doing the proper research before hiring someone or getting your car to any workshop.
This is less likely, but it happens from time to time. Someone (with or without uniform or identification) says “Let’s test the window resistance on the street” or “Let me try your car’s aerodynamic resistance”, and right after that ask you for the car keys and leave the shop. This overconfidence has a “con” in it.
The only testing driver (after a windshield replacement or repair) is you. There is no need to lend your car keys to anyone in order to take it for a test drive. If you lend your keys to a non-identified person, you can say goodbye to your car. It may not return. You got robbed.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that regardless of the situation (easy to solve or difficult to understand) you must always gather as much proof and information to support your claim. The idea is to avoid the inspector’s doubts about what happened to your glass. If it is the case, you should present any information you have to give to the police officer or any force of law. This kind of prevention saves you a lot of misunderstandings.
Even if the person asking for your car keys has the workshop logos on his shirt, you do not know where your car is going to go. It has been known of cases where the car has been implicated on drug dealing and other kinds of crimes just by lending it 10 minutes. The majority of the trained personnel on auto glass shops have been instructed not to drive the client’s car, to avoid any risk of damage. Therefore, no technician will take your car for a test drive. Be aware of this and talk to the manager right away.
There are a vast number of different situations where common sense becomes the least useful sense. Therefore, it is always advised to be informed, so you can make the most of every unfortunate situation.
As you can see now, after all this information, you should not take lightly a simple auto glass incident. There are a lot of statements to consider in your car insurance policy, before you think you “have it all under control”. Make sure you studied the whole policy with your insurance broker or advisor to get a full understanding of what you can claim or what you cannot claim to the insurance company.
And lastly, it is recommended you always prevent going first. If you drive safely, if you take care of your car periodically, if you do not get in trouble then you will not have to use the coverage in the first place. But as they say, it is better to have an insurance plan just in case. You will find it less expensive than not having one. Aim to get a “full glass coverage” to avoid the deductible.
